Monday, November 03, 2008

Once again the City Paper is sucking up to the Mayor's Office and counting the Pred's deal of last year as a feather in Karl Dean's cap:

First there, was the lease agreement gift for the local Nashville Predators ownership group. That one, Dean really had to get done to appease a restless business community after the bad old days of Mayor Bill Purcell’s reign.

I don't know whether the acquisition of the City Paper by Southcomm Corporation earlier this year released them from the conflict of interest question of supporting the Mayor's Preds deal, but there was a time when lobbying for the deal looked like a personal investment in the Mayor's "accomplishment."

One thing hasn't changed: they're still trashing Bill Purcell over the Predators just as Richard Lawson did at the end of last year.

However, it seems to me that the NCP is jumping to conclusions in judging Dean charitably and Purcell harshly given the current economic crisis we find ourselves in. Seeing through the clouds of the gathering financial storm (in which Metro cannot even launch a capital budget to pay for infrastructure) to the conclusion that the Preds deal is a wise one looks more patronizing or wishful than it does steely or objective. With so many doubts, even about whether fans have the will or disposable income to fill the seats, placing faith in Karl Dean's commitment of Metro funds to keep the Preds is a giant leap.

If City Paper's faith is not backed up by investments, then it seems rather uninsured.